Hyatt property in DC - where to use Club access for Explorist?
 

Hi,
we are planning a trip to DC in late Aug/early Sept, most likely during Labor Day weekend. This is a bucket list trip for my mom. She will be visiting from Indonesia, to visit Smithsonian museums, and the National Basilica at the CUA.

Which DC property is best to use the Club access? We like Hyatt properties in general.and we are considering Grand Hyatt DC and Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner. Which one has better Club Lounge? We normally use the Club Lounge for breakfast, and sometimes late in the day for desserts. On other Hyatt properties visit, we have mixed experience with the Club Lounge. When we were in Calgary, the Club Lounge at the Hyatt Regency was great, breakfast are plentiful with hot options and good continental spread, but the Club at HR Vancouver BC is really really bad (crowded, too small, only cold cuts and muffins). When we were in Jakarta, GH Jakarta Club lounge is as good as a typical US HR breakfast buffet, same with GH Taipei.

We are not expecting a lot with the Club lounge, only a continental breakfast, with a hot options or two, we would consider something like that as good. Should we consider other Hyatt property in the area as well?

Thank you in advance.

You may want to consult the following threads for the two you have mentioned:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyat...l#post30583595

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyat...er-thread.html

I have not stayed at either, so I cannot say whether the lounges at either are good. However, note that Tyson's Corner is further away from the main part of DC, so factor in the travel time used, especially during a holiday weekend.

Do you have access to AmEx FHR? If so, the PH DC can be a great value for short stays when factoring in included breakfast/property credit.

Correct. There is no club at the PH DC, so the Club Access awards are of no use. Breakfast at the restaurant covered only for Globalist or via an included rate (which is why I mentioned FHR). The PH breakfast is extremely good, but at the same time is not cheap. It is easy to hit the $40/pp/pd breakfast benefit of FHR.

Thank you for the pointers. I am leaning towards GH DC. I have not done the calculation but I think I should come out ahead paying metro fares for 4 ppl vs renting a car and paying parking.

Thank you as well for pointing out the threads. I read through (some of them), and seems like the Club Lounge can be quite a zoo. I am hoping that during Labor day weekend, it would die down a little. The general hotel rate in the area is quite low before jumping up post Labor Day.

Don't forget Uber/Lyft - rates are quite reasonable in DC.

Thank you for this piece of information. Very handy. Now I am tempted to change direction, maybe book the renovated L'Enfant Plaza (National Mall Hilton) instead. The senior rate + b'fast does not look too bad on that weekend, and I could use bfast benefit from HH Gold status.

Yes, I am aware of that. If I stayed at the Hilton, I would book 2 rooms - 1 room w senior rate + bfast, the other would just be regular AARP rate (mine) - and I would use my Gold bfast benefit on that room.

As a local (and having stayed at all these hotels in town when I was living elsewhere and commuting back here), I would go with the GH. I've stayed there on weekends and the lounge has been open. Perhaps you could call to see if they plan to close for holiday weekends. The location just really is fantastic... the Hilton isn't bad for getting to the Mall but it's sort of out of the way and on the wrong side for general environs (the restaurants around CityCentre & Penn Quarter, etc., are much better).

Also, booze at the GH lounge is $4 for house wines and certain spirits (I think Beefeater, Smirnoff, Bacardi, Sauza -- vs. $7 for higher-end stuff). I doubt the place will be overrun at Labor Day.

Also as for transport, you really don't want the hassle of a car. Parking is a pain, and on Sundays and Labor Day it's free but is often hard to find near the monuments & sites. Metro is cheap & Uber for 4 pax will likely be similarly priced to Metro and very readily available.